Bolivia is a country with a wealth of natural beauty. The acres of glacier-like salt flats and the tangled jungle labyrinth in the Amazon basin ensure Bolivia does not rely on its high altitude to take your breath away. However Bolivia is not just a pretty face. Scratch the surface you’ll quickly discover a country of corruption, chaos, and most importantly, character. If you are like me and have a morbid curiosity for anything sinister or simply want to experience the antithesis of western culture then consider Bolivia your holy grail.
Anyone who has ever been abroad will have heard the horror stories of irresponsible travellers that ended up in a foreign prison. To most of us the idea of being inside a South American prison is a nightmare scenario and yet San Pedro prison remains one of Bolivia’s most popular tourist attractions. Tours are given around the prison by the guards and although this sounds more dangerous than a bear wielding num-chucks it is actually quite safe. It is within everyone’s best interest to keep the tours running. The guards get the money from the tours, the inmates get the chance to sell cocaine to wealthy tourists and the tourists get to see heavily tattooed drug lords playing blackjack. All in all it is a thoroughly corrupt yet thoroughly enjoyable experience.
The phrase ‘step off the beaten track’ is generally thrown around to attract the swarms of camera-happy, sandal-clad tourists. However I can safely say that when Bolivia begins, the beaten track ends. Quite literally fewer than 10% of their roads are paved and are generally cut out of the sides of mountains. The Infamous ‘Death Road’ is renowned for being the world’s most dangerous road and believe me it lives up to its reputation. The road is the only way to reach the exotic jungle town of Rurrenabaque and despite being a beautiful journey through the misty jungle mountain-tops it is unbelievably terrifying.
Rurrenabaque however is worth every last gut-wrenching wobble over the side of a cliff. The town is a shimmering oasis by an Amazon estuary. From Rurrenabaque several tours are offered. The Pampas tour is a 3 day boat excursion in the animal inhabited Pampas where you can search for anacondas or swim with pink bottle-nose dolphins. The Jungle tour offers a 3 day exploration into the depths of the jungle. Or if you’re into something more spiritual you can spend a hallucinogenic night with a shaman. Just goes to show you’re never very far away from something slightly illegal in Bolivia.
From the outset Bolivia sticks out from the rest of South America which is bending over backwards to dilute their culture into the western model. Unlike other South American countries that were heavily colonised by Europe, Bolivia is vastly indigenous, and indigenous cultures, and even languages, still prevail. Evo Morales, the first democratically elected indigenous Bolivian, fights tooth and nail to separate Bolivia from American influence and allow the continued growth of the coca crop. Morales claims cocaine is not a part of Andean culture but the coca industry is vital for the Bolivian economy and as a cure for altitude sickness. In fairness, the Bolivian economy would collapse without the cocoa industry and it is Morales’ duty to protect the welfare of his people, however, it is impossible to claim it does not lead to a prominent drug trade. Overall, this, coupled with his adoration of Marxist Che Guevara have led to a contentious relationship with America and a series of assassination attempts. More importantly, from a tourist’s point of view it has ensured that Bolivian culture remains authentically chaotic.
La Paz, ‘the city in the sky’, is a melting pot of daily pandemonium. Only a stone’s throw away from the prison you can find the Witches’ Market. Here you can find any number of lotions and potions and of course a bag of the infamous coca leaves. Don’t be surprised to find a variety of different dead animals hanging from the roof of the shop. Llama foetuses are especially popular as they are seen to be very lucky.
Also a trip to La Paz would not be complete unless you visit a Cholita wrestling match. A Cholita is a traditionally-dressed stocky Bolivian woman with long pig tails and a petty-coat. Seeing Bolivian ladies swinging each other around a ring by the hair or even attempting to choke slam a man is a truly absurd and unique experience.
Once you have been exhausted by the eccentric mania of La Paz it essential to visit the more legal and less dangerous parts of Bolivia. Lake Titicaca is one of the largest lakes in the world and each island tells its own unique story. The Isla Del Sol is drenched in liquid sun and littered with old Inca Ruins. The Floating Islands, on the other hand, are made entirely of straw, woven over generations. Legend has it they were originally created by Incas fleeing the Spanish invasion. However, a word of warning if you choose to stay on these islands overnight. Bear in mind that one of the favourite local cuisines is guinea pig and it normally comes flattened, deep fried and still in possession of its claws and whiskers. All in all, its all well and good visiting Bolivia on the merits of its stunning landscape but if you don’t dabble within a shaman and dine with a guinea pig then you haven’t really visited Bolivia at all.
Jamie Metcalfe
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